Woman Pulled From River

Several People Given Shelter

From flooded basements to stranded motorists to swollen river banks, unrelenting rains over the weekend wreaked havoc across the Farmington Valley.

"I've seen water in places I've never seen water before," Canton Police Chief Lowell Humphrey said.

No serious injuries or deaths were reported, but fire crews and police across the region found themselves in rubber boats, and wading through, or in one case, diving into, deep waters to assist citizens.

Firefighters in Canton rescued seven people on Old Canton Road whose homes were surrounded by water late Friday and early Saturday, Humphrey said. Approximately five residents spent the night at an emergency shelter set up at the Canton Community Center, he said.

Down by the river banks, a quick-thinking Canton Sgt. Michael Krupa jumped into the fast-moving Farmington to save a woman who fell in while trying to save her dog. The pooch had been swept into the river on Saturday near Collinsville Canoe and Kayak.

Avon fire crews pumped water from about 60 basements, and the Avon Room in the basement of town hall was flooded with 4 inches of water from Nod Brook.

Flood waters washed away a large portion of a driveway to three homes on Waterville Road, a half-dozen Avon roads were closed until Saturday evening, and a car was stranded in water up to its doors at the flooded entrance to Fisher Meadows on Old Farms Road.

Town crews had to open a gate valve on the lower dam at Countryside Park to prevent water from topping the dam.

``We were very busy over the weekend,'' said Avon Town Manager Phil Schenck. ``It kept us really going.''

Police and fire crews also spent hours rescuing stranded motorists, many of whom ignored signs and barricades that clearly announced that certain roads were impassable and dangerous.

In Simsbury, a flooded Route 315 became a holding tank of sorts for John Chekovsky, 28, an intoxicated motorist stuck in water up to his elbows inside his pickup truck shortly after midnight Sunday morning, according to a police report.

After shouting several expletives at an officer who requested his license and registration, Chekovsky yelled: ``I'm not coming to you, if you want to talk to me come and get me.''

Chekovsky was eventually charged with operating under the influence, failure to submit to fingerprints, disregarding state traffic commission signs, interfering with an officer and operating a motor vehicle without a license.

He was released on a $10,000 non-surety bond.

``The lesson is if the roadway is closed, it's closed for a reason,'' said Simsbury Capt. Peter Sevetz.

In Farmington, several motorists ignored orange and white barriers and, in one case, the waving arms and screams of several people.

Gloria Cyr, 54, of Burlington, drove her Ford Explorer into water on Meadow Road until the water was up to the brake lights, police said. She sat there for several minutes, then started to back out of the water.

As she backed away from the flooded roadway, a police officer waved to Cyr and tried to get her to stop. Instead, police said, she backed into the front of his cruiser which was idling with its strobe lights on. Cyr was cited for failing to obey a traffic sign.

Sgt. Dan Devine, a Farmington police spokesman, said he's astonished each time people drive their cars into high water.

``We put the signs out there for a reason,'' Devine said. People can hydroplane when they hit high water and lose control of their cars. If the current is swift, as it can be in the Farmington meadows, they could be washed down river.

Some people simply moved signs to the side of the road and drove on. Others ``think the signs don't pertain to them and they can get through.''

What many don't realize is that ignoring such a sign is the same as running a stop sign and that they can be ticketed.

Tim Vibert, vice president of towing for Farmington Motor Sports, had to pull one car out of the water himself over the weekend. And when he's got to wade into high water, then dunk himself to attach a cable to a car's undercarriage, people can expect an additional labor charge.